Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control unit for setting operating functions and operating parameters for an electrical household appliance, including a control knob retained on a control area, wherein the control knob can be rotated about a knob axis in order to set an operating parameter of, for example, a heating level.
Such a control unit is known from European Patent EP 0 448 005 B1, in which a control device is specified in the form of a control panel including indicator elements, having a control element for the selection of functions and/or operator programs, with a pulse generating device for the input of function values allocated to functions, e.g. such values as times, temperatures or speeds, and with a control element for starting a selected program. In that instance a first control element is formed as a ring-shaped rotary selector switch and a second control element is formed from a pulse generating device in the form of a rotary knob which can be rotated in a circumferential direction. The rotary selector switch and the rotary knob are combined into a multifunctional switch, whereby the rotary switch is disposed concentrically around the rotary knob. On one hand, that multifunctional switch is easy to use and readily understandable and, on the other hand, has the advantage that it is assembled from only a few individual parts. It also saves space so that the control panel can be made smaller.